So, my long time great friend K-Flava dropped some poetic genius on this brotha the other day on FB. I asked her if I could share it with y’all and she obliged me. Here is the post: Your thoughts are always welcomed.
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Let’s stay here in this moment. Please?
It seems that we’re always searching for fulfillment. And fulfillment in ways that involves a higher degree of success. We are driven by our successes. A bachelor’s degree, master’s degree, specialization, certification. More papers and papers that don’t include how much you spent just to have your name on it and some person’s signature that merely agrees that you’ve literally “paid” your dues.
Why can’t we just appreciate that our successes are within us? Why can’t we understand that there’s more to life than trying to prove to others what “you are capable of…”? Why can’t we stop and focus on ourselves as a person than trying to MAKE a persona of us with all these different hats? I think it’s absurd. I think it’s absurd that we are always trying to search for more fulfillment from institutions when the emptiness inside of us yearns to be filled with love and appreciation. Some of us don’t even know who we are. We are so involved in the acceptance of others when we can’t even better our own NATURAL talents. And not talents of intelligence, but of our intrinsic energy.
What IS success anyway? Traditionally, nature steers us toward phrases like, “reaching our goals,” – “fulfilling our dreams,” – “education, job, family,” etc. But, what happens when we get there? What happens when we’ve reached the top? Sure, you probably feel absolutely amazing having accomplished many endeavors. But, what happens next? Many people find themselves incomplete. Why? Having almost everything anyone could ever ask for. Having seen and done things that most people say they never did. Then, why do many people find themselves empty and miserable? Yet, this situation, my friends, is the catalyst to a journey they never imagined they would take.
And that is the journey of finding yourself. Start by giving some time to just BEING. Relax. Reflect. Maybe you’ll find the happiness and success you’ve imagined since childhood lies within. We have so much power unbeknownst to us, we wouldn’t know where to begin. But, to acknowledge this light is to breathe life anew. Dreams and goals are mere catalysts to the journey of success, yet these achievements don’t necessarily end in triumph. Success MUST result in PURE UTTER HAPPINESS.
The poorest person in this world can be the most fruitful because he/she understands life from it’s source, which is within. Its is understanding the light and power within ourselves, in which we are truly successful.
we will find the 'fruits of our labor' surround us, even before we begin.
By K-Flava
Yep, I know...It ain't right!!
At the risk of being super stereotypical, I had to post this picture and get your thoughts on this. This is soo wrong, but I couldn’t resist the imagery. If this teaches the Black community anything, please don’t be a stereotype or a statistic at all costs.
Oh yea, I bet all those chance cards will say “No Chance” when you flip them over.
So I was on facebook and had answered this question on a friend’s wall. So I want to pose the same question to you.
This should be interesting:
Describe me with one word, using the third letter in YOUR first name. answer me, then try it and see what crazy things you get
Aurie's future toy
So, I was thinking about what my toy ride would be. Most guys get bikes, but I’m thinking to myself…”Can I get away with having that with my lady? Umm…yea…that’s a tall order.”
So, I’ve decided to try to get something one day that not only looks cool and goes fast, but it’s also energy efficient.
This is the VentureOne Hybrid. The approximate starting MSRP has been slated to be no more than $23k for a fully electric model and around $18k for the hybrid. I’m not the flashy type, so this is right up my alley. You can definitely get around in the rain in this thing too which is pretty nice.
To learn more about this vehicle, visit a blog that I was reading that does a nice job of explaining some of the details by Click Here
Here is Hammond from Top Gear showing you one of the first prototypes…Enjoy
I think that we can really learn something from this economy. You need to give yourself a stimulus package or two. Since my GDP is on a different scale, these are some neat examples of my kind of stimulus packages.
It could be as simple as cutting out the coffee run everyday at $2- $5 per day which could save $10 to $25 per week.
How about the lunch special from the Asian spot around the corner for $4 to $7 around 3 days per week. Savings there would be about $12 to $21 per week.
Just today, as an example, I am cutting my own hair with visual approval from the family (Trust me, they won’t let me embarrass them on the street looking tore up). I just saved myself gas money. A haircut would run me anywhere from $12 to $20. I’ll take free for $0 Alex.
Before you know it, you’re looking at a budget surplus or deficit reductions quicker than you thought you could. Even though you have to spend on essentials, if you can find simple and effective ways of adjusting your lifestyle, you’ll be in the money in no time.
What examples do you have of giving yourself a stimulus package? It could be anything. Please share…
Many times, it is difficult for some teenagers, young adults, and 20-30 somethings to grasp the whole personal finances thing down even though the tools available to them are almost endless in the great US of A.
I think that the video link posted below will be of tremendous assistance to those want to understand the subject matter from positions of experience, examples, and what I like to call: “Real Talk.”
Give it a go and let me know what you think about the video. I must warn you that the video was made as an hour long program and you may want to watch it in chapters from time to time.
There are many tools, resources, and extra features that are available as well. This is great for parents, young folks/college age students, and adults alike.
Click here to watch Your Life Your Money for free
Shared via AddThis
Feel free to perform an honest financial health checkup via this link as well provided by CNN Money. It asks a few simple questions about your finances and will give you a grade based on those answers. Share your answers if you’d like, but remember that no matter what the grade, it is a tool and not the rule. It’s never too late to start.
Kiva
I recently came across a website called Kiva. Kiva is the world’s first person-to-person micro-lending website, empowering individuals to lend directly to unique entrepreneurs around the globe. Their mission is to connect people through lending for the sake of alleviating poverty. How does it work? I’m glad you asked… Well you see average people like you and I can form a lending team to sponsor entrepreneurs from impoverished countries around the world. We loan them the money which they in turn will pay back (a loan, not a hand out); then, we can turn around and lend to someone else. It doesn’t have to be a big sum per person. As little as $25 goes a long way.
How Kiva Works
1) Lenders like you browse profiles of entrepreneurs in need, and choose someone to lend to. When they lend, using PayPal or their credit cards, Kiva collects the funds and then passes them along to one of our microfinance partners worldwide.
2) Kiva’s microfinance partners distribute the loan funds to the selected entrepreneur. Often, our partners also provide training and other assistance to maximize the entrepreneur’s chances of success.
3) Over time, the entrepreneur repays their loan. Repayment and other updates are posted on Kiva and emailed to lenders who wish to receive them.
4) When lenders get their money back, they can re-lend to someone else in need, donate their funds to Kiva (to cover operational expenses), or withdraw their funds.
Another question you may ask is, “Why don’t they just go to the bank?”
Well you see, often times these people do not have the means to walk into a bank like you and I, and apply for a loan. And that is why Kiva is such a really good thing because not only do they act as a vehicle in providing help to the people who need it, their third party providers also provide training to help these entrepreneurs to grow their business and succeed.
I implore you to join me in the quest of making this world a better place, by helping those who are not able to get a loan in order to grow their business and help their community.
Join our Lending Team: Lending with Resource-Fullness
How do Lending Teams work?
Members of Kiva Lending Teams continue lending as individuals, but they have the option to count each loan they make towards the overall impact of one of their teams.
Are you interested? Sign up here
Go to the Kiva page for more information.
Citation
Information provided directly from Kiva.org
Can you believe it…This is my 100th blog posting since coming to wordpress back in October of 2006. Time surely does fly when you’re having fun. 
I am happy to say that my 100th post is dedicated to something truly magnificent and historic. As a Jamaican, I am naturally passionate about track and field. The sprints are something that we Jamaicans have been brought up to revere and hold close to our hearts.
Track & Field Magic: Usain Bolt Wins!!
For this post, I have to dedicate this one to the one they call Lightning. The almost superhuman phenom: Usain Bolt. The man is just plain dominant on the track. Can you believe the performance he put on this weekend? I surely couldn’t believe it, but I certainly was not surprised when it happened. After breaking the world record with a devastating 9.69 seconds over 100 meters in the ‘08 Olympics, I was hard pressed to even think it possible for him to improve on it the way he has. At the World Championships in Berlin, Bolt put on an impressive show by clocking 9.58 seconds over 100 meters in a headwind. He dominated the field with the unparalleled will to strive for the perfect race. I think he still has much left in the tank.
Many analysts have said that Bolt had one of the slowest starts of the current sprinters. He has improved in this part of his race with great determination. As such, I was able to witness a man that could go out hard in the first 40 meters or so and shut everything down to a job for the last 45 meters and still post 10 seconds. Only a few short years ago, going under 10 seconds was one of the greatest human athletic achievements ever conceived.
With Bolt’s 9.58 seconds WR time, Who knows what he can do in perfect conditions. I am anxious to witness what may come next. Hopefully, injury won’t play a factor for a long time. This is truly one of the most impressive performances in any sport and at any time in human history.
Congratulations Usain Bolt. You are the greatest sprinter that this world has ever seen and maybe ever will see. Jamaicans and sprint fans around the world salute you.
Additional congratulations to Tyson Gay and Asafa Powell for their performances as well. Tyson Gay set a new American record of 9.71 seconds while Asafa Powell was right on his heels at 9.84 seconds. Continue to improve and push for greatness. You are both champions as well.
New World Record
100 meters won with new world record
